With time at a premium we understand that no B2B marketer wants to add another social media platform and strategy to their to-do list. That being said, you should bump LinkedIn up that list – perhaps ahead of some other platforms based on your target market. Why? 80% of B2B leads were generated through LinkedIn in 2015 compared to other platforms.
LinkedIn had been described as the “boardroom” style platform for social media. It’s filled with professionals (in early 2016 there were 430 million users on the site), many in the B2B space, and they aren’t all there to find new jobs.
Many professionals use LinkedIn for the networking and information aspects it provides. People will “connect” with those they know, the majority in similar industries. They become members of “groups” that may be specific to the industries they supply to, regional or very diverse. Members of a group have the opportunity to position themselves as experts by weighing in on discussions, sharing information and starting conversations.
Utilizing social selling for lead generation enables you to find and connect with your potential sales leads who are already on those social platforms and engage with them. Don’t just talk however – share, answer questions and participate.
This content contributes to your overall sales strategy but it also contributes to your content strategy because search engines include it. Not only could LinkedIn content improve your own website SEO ranking, the content may be pushed outside your inner circle, generating more interest and awareness.
It can also be a very useful research tool. Want to know what a competitor is up to? Check out the content they are delivering on LinkedIn and see what their focus is. If they’ve moved away from a platform you have strength in, this could indicate an opening to capitalize on. Perhaps there is a new innovation on the horizon that you could capitalize on?
Sure, you can still use LinkedIn to target prospects or investigate potential team members, get testimonials from past customers and hunt down the key people in prospective businesses, but it can be so much more than that for a B2B business.